Overview
C-SPAN StudentCam is an annual national video documentary competition for students in grades 6 through 12. Founded in 2004, it has awarded over $1.7 million in prizes across 22 annual competitions. The 2026 competition drew nearly 4,000 students submitting over 1,800 entries from 38 states and Washington, D.C. The competition is funded by the C-SPAN Education Foundation and charges no entry fee.
Each year, C-SPAN announces a specific theme tied to government, public policy, or national significance. The 2026 theme was "America's 250th Anniversary: Exploring the American Story through the Declaration of Independence." Students create 5-to-6-minute documentaries that examine either a historical moment shaped by the Declaration of Independence or a contemporary issue connected to its values. The 2027 theme will be announced in summer 2026, with the competition launching at the start of the 2026-2027 school year.
Winning documentaries air on C-SPAN's networks, giving student filmmakers national broadcast exposure. The 2026 grand prize winner, Erynna Holbrook from Troy Athens High School in Michigan, received $5,000 for her documentary "The Pursuit of Fair Pay," about the impact of name, image, and likeness (NIL) policies on college sports. Her film aired on C-SPAN on April 21, 2026.
What It Covers
StudentCam distributes $100,000 in cash prizes annually across approximately 150 winning entries, plus additional prizes for teacher advisers. The prize structure for the 2026 competition was:
Student Prizes
| Prize Level | Amount | Number Awarded | Eligibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Prize | $5,000 | 1 | Best overall entry, either Middle or High School |
| First Prize | $3,000 | 4 | 3 High School (1 per region) + 1 Middle School |
| Second Prize | $1,500 | 16 | 12 High School (4 per region) + 4 Middle School |
| Third Prize | $750 | 32 | 24 High School (8 per region) + 8 Middle School |
| Honorable Mention | $250 | 97 | Either category |
Teacher Adviser Prizes
| Prize Level | Amount |
|---|---|
| Grand Prize adviser | $750 |
| First Prize adviser | $500 |
| Second Prize adviser | $250 |
| Third Prize adviser | $125 |
Additional Prizes
- Fan Favorite: $500 additional, determined by online public voting among top prize-winning entries.
- Behind the Scenes: Up to 10 teams receive $100 each for sharing production photos on social media.
Prize money is split evenly among team members for group entries. C-SPAN recognizes a maximum of 3 students per entry.
Eligibility
Who Can Enter
- Students currently enrolled in middle school (grades 6-8) or high school (grades 9-12) in any US state, the District of Columbia, or US territories.
- International students in the equivalent of US grades 6-12, aged 18 or younger, may also participate.
- Students may be enrolled in public schools, private schools, or be home-schooled.
- Employees and officers of the National Cable Satellite Corporation and their immediate family members, and Trustees of the C-SPAN Education Foundation and their immediate family members, are not eligible.
Film Requirements
- Length: 5:00 to 6:00 minutes, measured excluding end credits. Films shorter than 5:00 or longer than 6:00 are disqualified in the first round of judging. End credits must begin after the 5:00 mark but may run beyond the 6:00 limit.
- Content: Must address the annual theme and include clips of C-SPAN video footage related to the chosen topic.
- Originality: Must be the original work of the student(s). Non-C-SPAN video sources, images, graphics, and background music must be credited.
- Viewpoints: Documentaries should explore multiple viewpoints, including those that may oppose the filmmaker's perspective. Interviewing subject experts is recommended.
- Citations: Entries must include either end credits or a separately submitted works-cited list. Any format is acceptable.
- Team size: Individual or teams of up to 3 students. A single entry created by more than 3 students is disqualified.
- One entry per student per year, whether participating individually or in a group.
Judging Structure
High school entries are judged regionally against peers in one of three regions (West, Central, East), based on the state of the student's school. US territories are assigned to regions: Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands to East; American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands to West. International high school entries are assigned to regions based on geography: Asia-Pacific to West, Europe and Africa to East, South and Central America to Central.
Middle school entries are judged nationally against all middle school peers.
How to Apply
Submission Process
- Create a 5-to-6-minute documentary addressing the annual theme.
- Upload the documentary to a video hosting platform (Google Drive, YouTube, Dropbox, or WeVideo).
- Complete the online StudentCam entry form at studentcam.org, including the video link.
- Students under 18 must have a Parental/Guardian Release Form signed by an adult.
- Submit before the deadline. The 2026 deadline was January 20, 2026 at 11:59 PM PST.
Technical Requirements
- Documentaries must include C-SPAN footage as source material.
- All non-C-SPAN video, images, graphics, and music must be credited.
- School staff and faculty may provide guidance and critiques but may not participate in conceiving or producing the video.
- A teacher adviser is not required, but if one participates, their name must be listed on the entry form for them to be eligible for the adviser cash prize.
There is no entry fee. The next StudentCam competition launches in August 2026.
Past Recipients
StudentCam has run 22 annual competitions since 2004, awarding over $1.7 million in total prizes. Recent grand prize winners:
2026: Erynna Holbrook, 11th grade, Troy Athens High School, MI. Film: "The Pursuit of Fair Pay," about NIL policies in college sports. Aired on C-SPAN April 21, 2026.
2025: Dermott Foley, 10th grade, Montgomery Blair High School, MD. Film: "Teens, Social Media & the Fentanyl Overdose Crisis." Foley is the first student to win Grand Prize twice, first as a 7th grader and again as a 10th grader. He is a five-time StudentCam prize winner.
2024: Nate Colman and Jonah Rothlein, 10th grade, Weston High School, CT. Film: "Innocents Held Hostage," about conflicts with Iran. The 2024 competition received over 3,200 entries from 42 states.
2023: Parim Shah and Nimay Sharma. Film: "Where's My Data?" about data privacy.
2021: Theo Poulin, 9th grade, Williamsville South High School, NY. Film: "Trust Fall."
Notable earlier winners include Sawyer Bowman (2009, "Cancer. It's Personal"), congratulated by President Obama via recorded video. A 2010 first-prize winner, Matthew Shimura, met First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House. Past winners have gone on to careers in journalism and film. Nicco Quiñones, the 2004 Grand Prize winner, became a producer and director.
What Made Their Application Stand Out
C-SPAN evaluates entries on several concrete criteria. Winning documentaries share these characteristics:
- Multiple viewpoints: The strongest entries interview sources with opposing perspectives and present them fairly. Documentaries that only confirm the filmmaker's opinion score lower. The judging rubric rewards intellectual honesty over advocacy.
- Substantive use of C-SPAN footage: Entries must include C-SPAN video as source material. Winning films integrate clips analytically as evidence, not as background filler. The best entries use archival footage to show how an issue has evolved.
- Expert interviews: Winning documentaries feature interviews with subject-matter experts, not just peers. The 2025 grand prize winner included interviews with families affected by fentanyl poisoning and public health experts.
- Topic specificity: Broad topics like "climate change" are less competitive than focused investigations of a specific policy or local issue. "The Pursuit of Fair Pay" (2026) examined NIL through a specific policy lens.
- Technical competence: Judges do not expect professional production values. A smartphone and basic editing software suffice. But clear audio, coherent editing, and readable graphics distinguish winners. Films that are hard to hear are eliminated early.
- Strict length compliance: Films must run 5:00 to 6:00 minutes, excluding end credits. Films outside this range are disqualified in the first round. This rule eliminates many entries each year.
Renewal Requirements
StudentCam is a one-time annual competition, not a renewable scholarship. Students may enter every year they are eligible (grades 6 through 12). Each year requires a new entry. One entry per student per year.
Prize money is a one-time cash payment with no ongoing obligations or GPA thresholds. Prize money is split evenly among team members (maximum 3 students per entry). Teacher adviser prizes are also one-time.
Dermott Foley's record of winning prizes across five competitions (including two Grand Prizes) shows that repeated participation is possible. Each year is judged independently.
Who Should Apply
StudentCam is designed for middle and high school students (grades 6-12) interested in documentary filmmaking and civic engagement. The competition does not require professional equipment or prior filmmaking experience. A smartphone, basic editing software, and a well-researched argument are sufficient to produce a competitive entry.
The competition is particularly accessible to students who lack formal film education programs at their schools. Because the focus is on content and argumentation rather than production polish, students from any background can compete. The requirement to include C-SPAN footage and explore multiple viewpoints makes this competition a fit for students interested in journalism, political science, or documentary storytelling rather than narrative filmmaking.
Students who want to build a filmmaking portfolio before applying to film school programs will find that a StudentCam prize is a concrete credential. The national broadcast exposure on C-SPAN is unusual for a middle or high school competition and provides a tangible credit for college applications or early career materials.
Watch
See Also
For documentary filmmaking techniques, see Documentary Filmmaking Guide. For audio loudness standards required in broadcast delivery, use the LUFS Calculator. For planning a short film production schedule, use the Production Schedule Calculator.
